Retractable trainline connector apparatus



June 11, 1968 K. DE PENTI RETRACTABLE TRAINLINE CONNECTOR APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 14, 1966 .u 2 mp W m/ ATTOIPA A'YS June 11, 1968 K. 1.. DE PENTI RETRACTABLE TRAINLINE CONNECTOR APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1966 5 M m WW I.

A Tram/67s I RETRACTABLE TRAINLINE CONNECTOR APPARATUS Filed March 14, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. F/G 7 AZA/A/T/l L. DE pz/vr/ Baum-M111, SW, NW K7wu4$a June 11, 1968 K. L. DE PENTI RETRACTABLE TRAINLINE CONNECTOR APPARATUS Filed March 14, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. AE/VA/[TH L. DE Pf/VT/ 500W, SW HewMi/(W Arum/[rs United States Patent 3,387,715 RETRACTABLE TRAINLINE CGNNECTOR APPARATUS Kenneth L. De Penti, Maple Heights, Ohio, assignor to Midland-Ross Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, :1 corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 534,100 14 Claims. (Cl. 2131.3)

Al3TRACT 0F THE DISCLQSURE A trainline connector, to be carried by a railway vehicle coupler, having a movable body, carrying trainline terminal means, that is capable of being advanced or retracted relative to the carrying coupler and is normally held in retracted position, preferably with its trainline terminal means covered by a cover, until the carrying coupler moves into coupling engagement with a coupler to which it is to be coupled, after which the body means carrying the trainline terminal means moves forward into connecting means and the cover if present exposes the trainline terminal means.

This invention relates to means for connecting trainlines, such as fiuid-conducting conduits and electrical circuits, between railway vehicles, and more particularly to connectors that make possible the automatic connection of trainlines as identical couplers of vehicles carrying identical connectors are automatically coupled and that also are adapted to be held in retracted positions on their supporting couplers when such couplers couple with unlike couplers.

When railway vehicles, such as railway cars, are coupled together, it is often necessary to connect together trainlines such as conduits for air or steam, or electrical circuits, carried by the vehicles. The connectors for such purpose should meet several requirements.

Thus it is very desirable that the connectors make it possible automatically to connect together the trainlines on coupling of the cars, and automatically disconnect the trainlines on uncoupling, Without utilizing manual action with its attendant high labor costs and possibilities of hazards to personnel. To make this possible the connectors are usually mounted on the couplers that automatically couple. Furthermore, it is important that when such couplers are coupled, the connectors mounted on the couplers maintain proper connections between the trainlines even through the couplers have limited longitudinal, lateral (including vertical), and universal angling movements during operation of the train over the track, as commonly occurs with Willison fixed jaw couplers, or knuckle-type AAR alternate standard Type F interlocking couplers, commonly used on freight cars. If the connectors do not maintain such proper connections between the trainline of coupled vehicles during such relative movements of the couplers, there will be severe stresses or wear on the connectors or chafing or breakage of fluid seals and electrical contacts.

The connectors should also form the desired connections between trainlines as the couplers carrying the con nectors automatically couple, even though the couplers may move substantial distances transversely to the pulling axis of the couplers during their final coupling movements. Since the most feasible location for a connector on a coupler is below the coupler, it is also important that the connectors be compact and located as close to the coupler as possible so it will not interfere with hoses or other parts of the railway vehicles and so it will not strike parts of the track as the vehicles move along the tracks. The

3,387,715 Patented June 11, 1968 coupler should be rugged in construction, require little maintenance, and be captable of manufacture at reasonable cost.

Additional requirements must be met if the connector is to be mounted on a coupler which is to be coupled with mating couplers of different types. In general, identical connectors, mounted on identical couplers, for automatically connecting on coupling have had slidably-mounted movable connecting members that are resiliently urged toward and maintained in normally extended positions until each engages the mating movable connecting member of the mating connector, and both movable connecting members are partially forced rearward toward retracted positions by such mutual engagement. While such connectors have been devised which operate effectively and efficiently when engaging identical connectors mounted on identical couplers, in some services vehicles having automatic connectors mounted on couplers are required to be coupled to other vehicles having different types of couplers that are, however, capable of being coupled to the couplers equipped with connectors. Such different types of couplers often have laterally-extending portions thereon that can engage and damage the normally extended movable connecting members of prior connectors. For such services, it is desirable to have connectors in which the connecting members are normally maintained in positions in which they cannot be damaged by any parts of such different types of couplers.

Furthermore, in many services it is desirable that the terminal portion of the connecting member of each connector that contacts the like portion of a mating connector be protected from dust, dirt, ice or other materials that could impair fluid-tight conduit joints or electrical contacts.

An object of this invention is to provide connector means for automatically effecting satisfactory connections between trainlines on cars or other railway vehicles as theyare coupled, which means can satisfy all of the above requirements, or as many of the above require-ments as desired.

A further object is the provision of a connector adapted to be mounted on the coupler of a railway vehicle, which connector is capable of automatically connecting to a like connector carried by a like coupler of another vehicle, to connect at least one trainline on each vehicle, without damaging the connectors, even though the couplers make substantial lateral movements as they automatically couple.

Another object is to provide such connectors that maintain effective connections between the trainlines of the vehicles without relative movement of the connecting members of the connected connectors even though there are appreciable lateral, longitudinal and angling movements of the coupled couplers as the vehicles travel.

A further object is the provision of such a connector in which the terminal end of the connecting member that makes contact with a like connecting member on an identical connector is covered with a protective cover at all times except While the connector is connected and during the time it is making or breaking connection.

A further object is the provision of such connectors in which all e-xtendible parts of the connectors are normally held in retracted position on the coupler until the coupler makes its final coupling movements with a like coupler, so that they are maintained in a position where they cannot :be damaged by coupling of the coupler supporting the connector with an unlike coupler that has laterallyextending parts that could otherwise interfere with the connector.

A further object is the provision of such connectors 3 that are compact and can be attached to existing couplers with little diificulty and little modification of the couplers.

Another object is the provision of connectors of these types which can be manufactured with a minimum of machining and at reasonable cost, and which are durable.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following descriptions of three connectors embodying the invention, in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the connecting end and one side of a preferred type of connector embodying the invention and for connecting a single trainline, the coupler on which the connector is mounted not being shown;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the same connector from the same end and its side, the coupler not being shown;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation, parts being broken away for cle-arness, showing the connector of FIGURES l and 2 as mounted on the bottom of a Willison type coupler;

FIGURE 4 is a plan elevation, along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 and to the same scale;

FIGURE 5 is an end elevation of the connector of FIG- URES 1-4, viewed from line 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is :a sectional elevation along line 66 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of the portions of two mating connectors of the type described in FIGURES 1-6 inclusive, but to a smaller scale, particularly showing how the cover members are positioned out of their covering positions when the connectors are connected;

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the positions assumed by two connectors identical with that of the preceding figures during final coupling movements of two Willison type couplers on which the connectors are mounted, the couplers being shown in broken lines and the connectors being diagrammatically shown in full lines as simplified by omission of means connecting the connectors to the couplers as well as other parts; and

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 but showing the couplers in their coupled positions and the connectors in their connected positions.

In FIGURES 1-7, inclusive, a connector A embodying the invention is rigidly mounted on a coupler B, which is a Willison fixed jaw type of coupler with which the connector provides exceptional advantages. The connector A comprises a body, generally indicated by numeral 1, that has a raised top portion 2 providing a longitudinal slot 3 therein which in cross section has the shape of an inverted T and in plan (FIGURE 4) is shaped so that the central portions of the slot are narrower than its ends because each of the confronting sidewalls 4 of the wider portion of the slot curves gradually outwardly from its center to its ends, and because each of the confronting sidewalls 5 on the inwardly-projecting flange portions 6 defining the narrower portion of the slot curves gradually outwardly from the central portion to its ends. By means of such T-shaped groove 3 body 1 is slidably mounted on a depending portion 7 that is of inverted T section in cross section and is fixed to the bottom of coupler B (FIGURES 3 and 4). Portion 7 has straight parallel sidewalls 8 and 9 located adjacent but spaced slightly from curved sidewalls 4 and 5 of body 1 of the connector. Therefore, body I can slide along portion 7 of the coupler B, and can move laterally or vertically or in angling relation to permit the body to accommodate to the movements of the coupler when it is coupled and the vehicles are moving on the track.

Body 1 carries a conduit member 10 having a through passage 11 and an end portion 12 that projects laterally from the side of body I and can be connected to fitting 13 (FIGURE 4) for fixing it to a steam or air hose or other conduit. Conduit member 10 has its other end portion 14 shaped to extend within a cavity 15 in the body and to fit closely within an opening 16 in the front end of body 1 (FIGURES 3, 4, 6). This end portion is also shaped firmly to carry an annular gasket 17 formed of rubber or other suitable material and adapted to be pressed against and to form a fluid-tight juncture with a like gasket on an opposing identical connector on a coupler coupled with coupler B. Conduit member 10 is held in body I by a pin 18 that passes through a lug 19 fixed to convexly curved side of conduit member 10 and through openings 21 and on opposite sides of a slot 22 receiving lug 19 in a wall 23 extending generally centrally across the interior of body I (FIGURES 3 and 6). Pin 18 is held in place by a depending member 24 and cotter pm.

The rear portion of body I has cavity 25 containing a compression type spring 26 one end of which bears against the wall 23 and the other end of which bears against a movable pressure member 27 that has a flange 23 contacted by the spring 26 and a rearwardly-projecting portion 29 that projects through an opening 30 in a rear wall 31 of body 1 against which flange 28 normally bears. The sides of the rear portion of the body 1 have axial slots 32 into which the sides of the flange Z8 fit to guide and prevent rotation of the member 27 relative to the body. The rear portions of the top and bottom of body 1 are also open to facilitate assembly and reduce weight. Projecting portion 29 has a generally horizontal lateral through opening 33 having a curved (FIGURE 4) camming bearing forward surface 34 and a fulcrum-shaped rear cumming surface 35, to engage the free end of a lever 36 that projects through opening 33. The other end of lever 35 is rigidly mounted on the lower end of a generally vertical shaft 37 that is supported on the coupler B by bracket means 38 (FIGURE 4). The upper portion of shaft 37 rigidly carries an actuating member 39 adapted, as described later, to contact an identical opposing coupler as it couples with coupler B carrying connector A. Shaft 37 is mounted for rotation about is longitudinal vertical axis, and the assembly made up of shaft 37, lever 36 and actuating member 39 is biased by spring 41 to urge the free end of lever 36 toward rear bearing wall 35 of the projecting portion 29 of member 27 and away from the front terminal end of the connector A.

Connector A includes a cover 42 that is fixed to the ends of two arms 43 and 44 mounted on shafts 4S and 46 projecting from the sides of body 1 and shaped to support cover 42 from beneath body 1; arm 43 thus clears the projecting conduit member 10. The arms are biased upwardly to positions where they hold the cover 42 so it protects and shields the gasket 17 and passage 11 at the terminal end of conduit member 10, by biasing spring 47 one end of which engages body 1 and the other end of which engages the arm 43.

FIGURES 8 and 9 diagrammatically show, in broken lines, a plan of two identical Willison type couplers B and B, FIGURE 8 showing the couplers in their final coupling movements before coupling, and FIGURE 9 showing the couplers after coupling. Each of these couplers carries below it a connector like that described above, respectively identified as A and A, so that the axis XX of the movable body 1 of each connector is disposed angularly to the pulling axis YY of the coupler. The axes XX of both connectors lie essentially in the same generally horizontal plane that is essentially parallel to the axes YY of the couplers. Axes YY of both couplers essentially coincide when the couplers are coupled and under tension.

Each connector, moreover, is so mounted relative to its supporting coupler that its axis XX of its movable body 1 extends essentially at right angles to the final coupling movement of the couplers, shown by the arrows in FIGURE 8, and at an angle other than a right angle to the coupling plane of each coupler indicated by broken line ZZ in FIGURE 9. The above described angular disposition of each connector relative to its supporting coupler facilitates automatic engagement and interfitting of connector parts despite substantial lateral movements characteristic of Willison couplers on coupling, and also positions the connector so its movable body is located so that, when retracted, it clears any outwardly-extending portion of a mating but non-identical coupler that may be coupled with the coupler carrying the connector, and essentially all parts are located behind the contour line defined by the coupling face of the associated coupler.

As is apparent from FIGURE 8, the movable body 1 of each connector A and A is fully retracted by engage ment of lever 36 of the connector with the rear surface 35 of the opening 33 of the member 27 of the connector, which lever is biased to its rearmost position by the spring 41 as described above; when so retracted, all portions of the connector are behind the coupling plane ZZ of the coupler. As the couplers move to their final coupled position shown in FIGURE 9, the actuating member 39 mounted on the shaft 37 that actuates lever 36 contacts a suitable portion of the opposing identical coupler, in this case the inner side 51 of the coupler-aligning projection 52 of the opposing coupler. Lateral movement of this projection 52 of each coupler as the couplers move in their final coupling movements to their coupled position, forces the cam-shaped outer end of the member 39 inwardly toward the axis XX of the connector, turning shaft 37 against the resistance of spring 41, and causing the free end of lever 36 to push the pressure member 27, and through spring 26 the body 1 of the connector, toward the other connector, as shown in FIGURE 9. As the connectors approach each other, their covers 42 engage and force each other laterally out of the space between the connectors, as shown in FIGURE 7, the confronting faces of the covers being curved and shaped to facilitate this; the free terminal end portions of the connectors engage so their resilient gaskets 17 become aligned and engaged to form a sealed fluid-tight joint. The terminal end portion of body 1 has laterally-extending portions 53 that widen this end of the body. A taper-nosed pin 54 fixed to one of these portions 53 adjacent gasket 17 and cover 42, is adapted to project into a corresponding opening 55 on a like portion 53 on the terminal end portion of body 1 of the other connector, to facilitate alignment in the final stages of connection.

Springs 26 in the connections resiliently urge the mov able bodies 1 toward each other and also aid in holding the bodies together and in alignment despite relative movement, including longitudinal movement, of the couplers during train operation. The curved contours of the slot 3 in the depending portion 7 below each coupler and the relatively loose fit of the T cross sectioned portion 2 at the top of the body 1 of each connector also facilitate holding the bodies 1 in contact despite relative coupler movement. The flange portions 53 at the terminal ends of each body facilitate alignment of the bodies during automatic coupling and automatic connection, and also facilitate maintenance of contact of the connectors since they resist separation of the connectors from relative twisting action.

Since the body 1 of each connector is held in a normally retracted position behind the coupling plane of the coupler, no portion of the body extends into a position where it can contact a mating coupler or connector, until and unless the actuating member 39 of the connector contacts and is moved by a part of the opposing coupler so as positively to move the body 1 to an extended position as described above. Therefore, this is of great importance in those cases where the coupler carrying the connector is used to couple with a non-identical coupler that is capable of coupling with the coupler carrying the connector but has a laterally-projecting portion, such as a downwardly-projecting portion, that could damage a connector that is normally extended in accordance with usual practices.

It is apparent that the construction of the illustrated connector is such that the parts can be readily assembled together, readily mounted on a coupler, and readily disassembled for inspection, cleaning or repair if required.

The compact design of the illustrative connector minimizes possibilities of the connector striking or being struck by parts of cars or the track system. The fact that the terminal end of the connector, including the gasket or other trainline terminal portion, is shielded at all times when the connector is not connected to another connector, and that the terminal end is shielded by the terminal end of the connected connector when the connectors are connected, protects the terminal ends including the gaskets from dirt, ice or other material that could cause difliculties in effecting satisfactory trainline connections, such as fluid-tight seals.

The illustrated connector is of such strong construction that it well withstands the shocks and impacts of connecting and disconnecting during coupling and uncoupling as well as the shocks and wear incident to overthe-rail service.

It is apparent that various modifications can be made in the illustrated connector without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty reside in the invention. The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention of excluding such equivalents of the invention described or portions thereof as fall within the purview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For mounting on a railway vehicle coupler having a coupling end, a connect-or adapted to form with a like confronting cooperating connecter on a coupled cooperating coupler a connection between trainlines, said connector comprising movable body means having a terminal portion thereof generally facing the same as the coupling end of said coupler and having on said terminal portion terminal means adapted to make connection with trainline terminal means on a cooperating connector; means for supporting said body means from said coupler for guided movement relative to said coupler along an essentially linear path between an extended position in which its terminal portion is located nearer said coupling end of said coupler and a retracted position in which its terminal portion is located further from said coupling end of said coupler; actuating means for holding said body means in its retracted position and for moving said body means to its extended position when said actuating means is actuated by a cooperating coupler as it moves into coupling engagement with said coupler carrying said connector; means operating on said actuating means for normally maintaining said movable body in its retracted position; and means operating between said body means and said actuating means for biasing said body means relative to said actuating means toward the direction of its extended position while permitting movement in the opposite direction along said essentially linear path against the force exerted by said biasing means.

2. The connector of claim 1 in which said means for maintaining said movable body means in its retracted position comprises means biasing said movable body means toward its retracted position.

3. The connector of claim 1 in which said movable body means is normally maintained in a retracted position in which no portion of said connector can engage a portion of a mating coupler.

4. The connector of claim 1 in which said movable body means is normally maintained in a retracted position in which all portions of said movable body means are behind the coupling plane of the coupler supporting said connector.

5. The connector of claim 1 in which the path of movement of said movable body means between its extended and retracted positions is essentially at right angles to the direction of final coupling movement of said coupler as it couples with a like coupler.

6. The connector of claim 1 in which said means for supporting said movable body means from said coupler permits limited transverse, vertical, longitudinal and angiing movements of said movable body means relative to said coupler to permit said body means to remain in engagement with like movable body means of a cooperating like connector when the couplers carrying said connectors are coupled and during relative movement of said couplers during travel of the vehicles carrying the couplers.

7. The connector of claim 1 in which said trainline terminal means comprises a resilient annular gasket communicating with a fluid conduit passage carried by said movable means.

8. The connector of claim 1 comprising an arm pivotally supported about an axis fixed with respect to said coupler and adapted to engage said movable body means to move it between its retracted and extended positions, means for biasing said arm to move said movable body means toward and maintain it in its retracted position, and means associated with said arm and adapted to engage a portion of a cooperating coupler as it moves toward coupling engagement with said coupler carrying said movable body means, for moving said arm against said biasing means to urge said movable body means toward its extended position.

9. The connector of claim 1 comprising means for covering the trainline terminal means on the terminal portion of said movable body means at all times while said body means is retracted and until it moves toward its extended position.

10. For mounting on a railway vehicle coupler having a coupling end, a connector adapted to form with a like confronting cooperating connector on a coupled cooperating coupler, a connection for a trainline, said connector comprising movable body means having a terminal end carrying trainline terminal means; means for supporting said body means from said coupler for guided movement relative to said coupler along an essentially linear path between an extended position in which its terminal end is located nearer said coupling end of said coupler and a retracted position in which its terminal end is located further from said coupling end of said coupler; means for normally maintaining said movable body means in its retracted position; means actuated by the cooperating coupler as it moves into coupling engagement with said coupler carrying said connector for moving said movable body means to its extended position; cover means associated with said body means for covering said trainline terminal means while said body means is in its retracted position; and means for automatically moving said cover means to an uncovering position to expose said trainline terminal means as said body means moves toward its extended position.

11. The connector of claim 10 in which said cover means is mounted on said movable body means.

12. The connector of claim 10 in which said cover means is moved to its uncovering position by like covering cover means on a cooperating confronting like connector.

13. The connector of claim 12 in which said cover means is shaped to be moved into uncovering position by rolling engagement with like cover means on a like confronting cooperating connector carried by a coupler as it moves into final coupling engagement with said couler carrying said connector.

14. The connector of claim 10 in which said cover means is mounted on arm means pivotally mounted on said body means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,453,817 5/1923 Westinghouse 2131.3 1,496,294 6/1924 Brown 213-l.3 X 2,157,364 5/1939 Van Dorn. 2,229,902 1/ 1941 Robinson 21376 2,323,060 6/1943 Larsson 213-13 DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Primary Examiner. 

